“What’s the sheriff want with me now?”
“What’s he always want? He needs you at the station pronto.”
Earl sighed. Before he could answer, Joe Bob and Charles Ray wandered out of the woods on the opposite side of the police car.
“Is there a problem, officers?” asked Charles Ray.
“Evening, Charles Ray, Joe Bob,” Clyde said. “There’s rumors ‘bout some nigger boy whistling at a white girl over by Reform. Sheriff thinks there might be trouble, so we’re putting extra patrols on the streets.”
Joe Bob whistled. “That has to be some crazy coon. There a meetin’ ‘bout it?”
“We ain’t talkin’ ‘bout that here, Joe Bob. Not that it’s any of your business,” Clyde said. He looked over to where the Winchester boys were standing to make his point.
“We know you fellers from the Antioch church don’t like to help in your civic duties,” Ricky said. “But someone’s gotta mind the store. You know the drill, Earl.”
“Ya’ll ‘spectin’ trouble?” Earl asked.
“Sheriff is adamant about stopping it. He thinks it’ll bring the Troopers down, and we don’t need no outsiders poking their heads in our business. Cyclops agrees and instructed the boys to go easy. But you know how quickly things can get out of hand.”
Earl nodded.
Charles Ray spoke up, “Do we even know this happened? I find it hard to believe them colored boys in Reform don’t know better.”
“You know how them jungle bunnies are,” said Clyde. “They see a white woman and can’t control themselves.”
“I have a hard time with that myself,” joked Joe Bob.
The policemen laughed.
“Anyway, you’ll be needed to cover the desk, Deputy,” Ricky told Earl.
Earl relented. “I suppose so.” He pretended to be disappointed, but he was inwardly relieved. So far, it appeared that nobody knew about the gang’s involvement in the magician’s homicide or the abduction of the girl. Working the night shift alone would give him access to the interstate reports. He’d quickly learn what the local authorities knew and what they didn’t. “If it’s alright with you, I’ll need you to give me a lift. I’ll have to swing by my house to pick up my uniform. It shouldn’t take long.”
“We’ll drop you off.”
“I’ll need a ride to the station, too. Peggy Lou needs the car in the mornin’ to go by her folks'. Her mama done got sick. I’ll have to take one of the patrol cars when I get off tomorrow until she gets back.”
Earl looked at Cooter and winked. Cooter nodded.
“Hop in the back. We gotta get going soon, or the Sheriff will be on our ass. If there’s a lynching tonight, there’ll be hell to pay tomorrow.”
Deputy Earl Barber climbed into the back of the patrol car. They turned around and headed down the road. The remaining men stood and watched as they disappeared out of sight.
“Do you think they suspect anything?” asked Jeremiah.
“Nope,” Cooter answered. “And let’s keep it that way.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Buck watched the police car through the trees, his hunting rifle ready. Once he saw Earl get into the police car and the vehicle turn around, he relaxed and returned to his vigil by the truck. As he approached, he saw Brother Eustice standing near the rear, looking pale and sickly.
“Is everythin’ alright, Brother?” asked Buck.
“Why you carryin’ that gun?” Brother Eustice asked, eyeing the big man with caution.
“A couple of Fuller’s deputies showed up.”
“Did they now? Where are they?”
“They left. Took Earl with ‘em.”
Eustice nodded, leaned against the truck, and lit a cigarette. Buck waited uneasily, not sure what he was supposed to do next. He drifted closer to the truck and glanced inside. The girl lay motionless in a heap on the metal floor.
“The Devil took her,” Brother Eustice explained. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. I am widowed again, Brother Buck. Turn to me, oh Lord, and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”
Buck wanted to comfort the old man, but he found himself unable to take his eyes off the dead girl. Her eyes stared unseeing into the abyss, her skin already fading to a ghostly white. The child’s clothes lay in tatters around her; the ropes still bound her wrists. The only color left in her smooth skin was the bruising that bordered the ligature around her neck.
“Cursed Satan!” the old man shouted. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy!”
Brother Eustice looked pensively at Buck. The way he was staring at the girl and clutching the rifle made the preacher uncomfortable. Behind him, the others approached.
“What’s goin’ on over there?” Charles Ray asked as they drew near.
“Brother Eustice—" Buck said before the preacher interrupted him.
“Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roarin’ lion, seekin’ someone to devour. He has taken my lovely bride. It is the work of the magician. It was good that we rid the world of his wickedness. We must do the same with the tools of his trade.”
“You killed her?” asked Junior in dismay. “You punished me for touchin’ her and then you murdered—"
Whack! The old man’s cane struck Junior on the side of the head and knocked him to the ground.
“How dare you question the prophet, boy! If Elijah Andrew were here, he’d smite you mightily. Your older brother looks down on you from his place in paradise with shame. I hope he shields your saintly mother’s eyes from your lack of faith. It is as I say. The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
The men stood by, visibly distraught by the sight of the murdered child. Yet no one spoke their misgivings. The prophet’s hold was strong. Brother Eustice stared at his congregation, waiting for anyone to challenge his authority. None dared.
Joe Bob, Cooter, and Charles Ray looked away. Eustice could see they were conflicted inside. Junior staggered back up to his feet, clutching the side of his head. His face was flushed with anger. Tears fell down Jeremiah Thomas’ cheeks. Buck continued to gawk at the dead girl, as if hypnotized by the repugnant image. His hands tightened around his hunting rifle. Eustice took control.
“We gotta rid Cooter’s land of this evil,” he stated. At the sound of his name, Cooter looked up. He couldn’t have agreed more with the preacher.
“You got a saw somewhere ‘round here?” Eustice asked. Cooter couldn’t believe his ears. Things were going from bad to worse. The others looked appalled at the suggestion.
“The work of the demon is afoot. Mark my words. The beast will conspire against us if we ain’t careful. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothin’ shall hurt you. There is but one path to salvation. Let me show you the way.”
“Brother Eustice,” Charles Ray said, “you can’t mean—"
“If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand. We must divide his vessel. The evil one seeks to deceive us. We will deceive him.”
“I’m not—" said Junior.
“Enough! Buck,” Brother Eustice said, addressing the big man. He saw immediately that Buck wasn’t going to be pressed into chopping another body into pieces, so Eustice changed his plan. “Buck, go with Cooter. Bring back a saw and some shovels, and a tarp.”
Buck nodded, and the two turned to leave.
“Come back quickly,” Brother Eustice instructed. “We’re losing light. When you come back, we ain’t going to argue ‘bout this none. Buck took his turn with the sorcerer. It’s on the rest of us now. Remember them cops coming out here? There’ll be others, sooner or later, if we don’t do this right. We all gonna take a turn at her. Each one of us is gonna take a part. Each one of us is gonna get rid of it. There ain’t gonna be no one inclined to speak ‘bout it to the authorities without implicatin’ himself. Is that clear?”
A few
mumbles and grumbles could be heard, but nobody challenged the prophet.
“What we gonna do with ‘em?” asked Joe Bob. “We can’t bury ‘em ‘round here. It wouldn’t be fair to Cooter.”
“We ain’t,” replied Brother Eustice. “Don’t you worry none. I know just the place.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Once Cooter and Buck returned with the hacksaw, Brother Eustice chose the order. Jeremiah went first. Brother Eustice knew his youngest son was weak. The longer he’d have to think about it, watching the others hack away at the corpse, the more cowardly he’d become. Eustice was firm in his command, but gentle enough so that the boy wouldn’t break down and embarrass the family name in front of the others.
Jeremiah Thomas’ job was to hack off the feet. The boy turned green and threw up when the blade hit the bone the first time, but eventually he finished the grisly task and gladly handed the saw to his brother.
“Not yet,” said Brother Eustice. “Joe Bob, you’re up. Take an arm.”
Joe Bob looked disgusted, but did as he was told, hacking off the girl’s left arm with little hesitation. He looked at the prophet, who nodded to Charles Ray.
“Take the other arm.”
Charles Ray grabbed the right arm, pushed his boot against the girl’s torso, and sawed the appendage off at the shoulder. He threw the saw on the ground and wandered away from the group to cry.
“I’ll take a leg,” said Junior, reaching for the saw.
Whack! The old man’s cane struck him on his ass. He spun around, his fists balled up, and his face flushed with anger.
“It ain’t your turn, pervert,” his father announced. “Cooter, you’re up. And show some respect.”
Cooter wanted to punch the old man, but he restrained himself. Buck was still keeping watch, clutching his rifle with a white-knuckled grip. Cooter just wanted to get it over with. He regretted allowing them to use his property for their heinous deeds, and he felt vulnerable. He pushed what was left of the child’s skirt over her privates and bent down. Once he cut through both of the femurs, he looked at the preacher with disgust. The old man nodded; his cue to hand the blade to Junior.
“Remove the head,” instructed the old man.
“What’re you gonna saw off?” Junior asked, careful to keep out of range of the old man’s walking stick.
“Just do as I say, boy.”
“You said we were all gonna take a turn.”
“What’d I say? Take the head, dummy.”
“He don’t need to do nothin’ to share in the guilt. He’s the one that dragged us into this,” said Joe Bob.
Brother Eustice nodded to Buck, but the big man ignored him. Eustice glared at Joe Bob. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? You were well acquainted with murder long before this. Weren’t you?”
“I’ve repented the sins of my past. It’s you that brought this upon us,” replied Joe Bob.
“I’ll not argue with a heathen and a killer like you. How many Japs did you kill, Marine?”
Joe Bob held his tongue. The old man was right. They were all guilty.
Junior placed his handkerchief over the girl’s face and sawed through the cervical spine. He picked up the head, dropped the saw, and walked away.
“It’ll be dark soon,” said Brother Eustice. “We’d better get going. Each of you take a piece of that tarp over there and wrap up your portion. Buck, you take the torso. We’ll load ‘em up and dump ‘em while we can still see where we’re goin’.”
“Where are we goin’?” asked Cooter. He didn’t care where they were headed as long as it was off his property.
“Dead River Swamp.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Inside the small confines of the magic box, Lacey watched through the tiny air holes, terrified of the prospect of being found. She was already in the back of the truck, searching for her father’s fake ruby amulet, when the men came. Quickly, she’d hidden herself and waited.
When the truck had unexpectedly started to move, Lacey almost jumped out of her hiding place. She saw her sister tied up next to the ugly man in the rear of the storage space. Lacey did her best to keep her breathing quiet, not wanting to be found by the foul-smelling deviant next to Laura. She watched the man make his way over to where Laura lay motionless. Although she couldn’t see in the dark, she knew what he was doing to her sister. Lacey sobbed silently into her hands. Where was her father?
The truck rambled on for hours before stopping. Before long, the compartment filled with light as the back door ascended to reveal a gang of hillbillies. Lacey wanted to scream, but she had no choice but to remain quietly in hiding. She could do nothing to help her sister, even when the old man with the beard climbed in and shut the door behind him.
Lacey watched with horror as the old man beat and raped her sister. When it was over, he choked her until she no longer moved.
“Aaagh!” Lacey sobbed before she could stop herself. The old man froze. He’d heard her cries.
She held her breath and tried to remain as motionless as possible. The bearded man turned his head and stared right at the box in which she was hiding. Lacey was certain that he could see her, but she was unable to move.
“Oooooohhh!” A strange, high pitched wail came from the old man. He howled eerily and mumbled incoherently as if speaking an unknown language. Rocking back and forth on his haunches, he looked as if he’d come across the dead girl by accident instead of murdering her with his own hands. After calming down, he opened the door of the truck and climbed out. Lacey waited in silence.
When the others returned, they saw what the old man had done, but no one did anything about it, not even the big man holding the gun. Lacey knew she’d get no help from those men, so she stayed where she was.
The men took her sister’s body out of the truck and walked away. Awful, sickening sounds drifted in to where Lacey sat in the box. She waited. After a while, the light dimmed, and she heard car motors start and drive away. She waited a bit and listened. All was silent.
Slowly, she climbed out of the box and stretched her aching muscles. She’d been contorted in the box for hours. She could barely move, but she had no choice now. To stay there was to die. Lacey quietly slipped out of the truck and looked around. She was alone.
She crept around the area, keeping a sharp eye out in case any of the men had stayed around to keep watch. Scrunch. Scrunch. Her footsteps echoed through the dead leaves as she tiptoed through the woody area. Slurp. Slurp. She looked at the wetness at her feet, expecting to find mud.
“Aaaaauuugghh!” she gasped and felt her stomach churn. She was standing in a huge pool of blood in the dirt. Now she understood what those terrible sounds she’d heard meant. Horrified, she ran into the surrounding wilderness, her hand still clutching the plastic ruby from her father’s turban.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Darkness had descended by the time the group returned to the clearing on Cooter’s land. With the exception of Earl, who was pulling duty at the sheriff’s office, none of the men were allowed to return to their homes at the command of the prophet. Brother Eustice was adamant that they dispose of the truck and its foul contents at first light and solidify their alibis. He wasn’t about to risk anyone babbling to their spouse about the horrific events and incriminating them all.
Cooter and Charles Ray built a fire, and the rest gathered around. The crickets chirped in the distance. The fire crackled. The men sat morosely, lost in thought. Brother Eustice eyed them all, one at a time, sizing up their commitment and looking for the weak links. At last, he offered a prayer to put the day to rest.
“As it says in Isaiah, ‘You are wearied with your many councils; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.’ This is the word of the Lord.”
“Amen,” the men replied.
“It has been
a tryin’ day, my brothers,” Brother Eustice continued, “and it has come to its end. Our faith has been tested as never before, and your prophet is pleased. The Lord came to me, speakin’ to me as is His desire. He, too, is pleased. I am humbled before the Lord and humbled by your devotion.”
Brother Eustice smiled as his eyes wandered around the circle of men. No one looked back, so he laid it on thicker and heavier as he went on.
“Proverbs instructs us, ‘In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.’ We must acknowledge the Lord in our works, my brothers. I tell you, it is His will, we are only the vessels that carry it out. Remember, ‘All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.’ Do you hear and understand, oh brothers?”
“Amen,” the reply came without enthusiasm.
“Keep his covenant and his testimonies,” repeated Brother Eustice. “There are many who would question our actions and our resolve to keep on the path of righteousness. This has been true for the faithful from the beginnin’. Peter once said, ‘Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though somethin’ strange were happenin’ to you.’ It’s as though he was speakin’ directly to us, because he is. ‘He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’”
Brother Eustice paused and lowered his voice. He talked to the others, not as their preacher, but as one of them. “I must confess, I am but a frail man, many times not worthy of my burden. But the Lord commands me, and I must obey. It is only by the strength of you, my brethren, my friends, that I find the energy to go on. Forgive me my trespasses, and don’t think poorly of me. I can bear many things and will stand up for the Lord as long as I have a breath in my tired body, but losin’ the respect and friendship of the likes of you men I could not endure. You’ve shown me what faith truly means and exposed my weaknesses. I thank you as much as I ask for your forgiveness.”
The Bone Puzzle Page 8
